Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Forgotten Movies: MEPHISTO WALTZ

I think this was probably a pretty junkie movie, but at the time I sort of liked it. Alan Alda plays a classical piano player who befriends a more
famous pianist who's dying. He(Curt Jergens) turns out to be
a satanist, who arranges to have their souls switch places at his
death, so that he can be young again and continue to play.

Alda's acting style clashes with Jergen's. But I liked the book by Fred Mustard Stewart so I gave it some slack. Barbara Parkins and Jacqueline Bisset were suitably lovely but also lacked the acting chops to put this one across. No doubt inspired by ROSEMARY'S BABY's success, this one kind of flopped. Alda went on to more fame, but I never saw Parkins again.

It was a pretty weak movie, as far as I remember it. Parkins came to fame on Peyton Place followed up by the movie version of Valley of the Dolls. She moved to England where she lived for many years, then to France, and finally back to her home country of Canada.

I re-watched this recently and thought it stood up pretty well in terms of a creepy, seventies occult movie. Alda, Bisset and Jurgen's are great and there are some seriously creepy moments in it. In all, much more satisfying than most of the blood drenched horror fare we are subjected to these days.

Not familiar with this one at all, Patti. Barbara Parkins had an odd career. I believe she starred in the television Peyton Place as 'the bad girl' (I could be mistaken since I'm dealing from memory here.) She left the show to make movies and looked as if she would have a good career. I don't know what happened.

I BRING SORROW BOOK LAUNCH

Please join me at the Huntington Woods Public Library on March 14th at 7 pm for the launch of I BRING SORROW. Aunt Agatha's Bookstore will be on hand with copies. Light refreshments will follow.

Coming February 2018

About Me

Patricia Abbott is the author of more than 125 stories that have appeared online, in print journals and in various anthologies. She is the author of two print novels CONCRETE ANGEL (2015) and SHOT IN DETROIT (2016)(Polis Books). CONCRETE ANGEL was nominated for an Anthony and Macavity Award in 2016. SHOT IN DETROIT was nominated for an Edgar Award and an Anthony Award in 2017. A collection of her stories I BRING SORROW AND OTHER STORIES OF TRANSGRESSION will appear in 2018.